And the Wild and Willey Comedy Tour begins...kind of.

Hello, Folks!

Well, here at is; a little after 10PM, Eastern Time.  And today was quite a week.  To be precise the past twenty-four hours are what sucked...right up until they didn't!

Merit and Himself

Clan Willey!

I spent a delightful weekend with the "fam" at the Santa Fe Renaissance fair where my daughter was performing with her Irish dance troupe.  I was putting the final touches on my packing and making ready to call it a night when all hell broke loose.

Now, when you travel as much as I do (for many years I flew over 75,000 miles annually...on one airline!) you're not surprised by much.  The weather delays, the ATC holds, the "mechanicals", puking children and pooping dogs are all part of it and, in general, I consider myself pretty darn lucky.  I've had a couple of horrific travel delays, but only a couple.  But now I had another brewing...

I got a call shortly before 8PM.  I see it's an "800" number, so I don't answer.  A bit later, out of curiosity I listen to my voicemails.  And there it is: that dreadfully cold mechanical voice telling me that my "itinerary has been changed due to a flight cancellation".  Not changed to later in the day - that would be bad enough - but to the next day!

So the phone calls begin.  The interminable time spent "on hold' very quickly tests patience and civility.  Frustration threatens to supplant good-naturedness.  But I am nothing but polite and understanding (this isn't their fault, I remind myself, aloud - they just happened to pick up the phone) and finally it is done.  The day is saved!  I will be there in time!

The next morning I board my flight, settling in with an Esquire, feeling very smug.  I had beaten the Gods of Air Travel Gone Awry!  Ha!  Take that!  Hold on...wait a minute...not so fast...

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the cockpit. I've got some bad news.  We have a light on up here that says we have a charging system down.  Now, though its a redundant system..."

Oh, For God's sake, I think, get on with it!  How bad is it?

"So we're gonna ask you to deplane..."  Never a good sign.  "And we'll have word for you in about an hour, I'd guess..."  Translation: you get off this plane there's a real good chance you ain't gettin' back on.

But we do get back on - an hour and a half later.  We land just in time for me to race to my connecting gate only to witness the jetway retracting.  Crap!

So it begins again.  And again I remind myself that this is not a "curse on the tour", not some kind of cosmic retribution.  It isn't even bad luck.  It's just plain odds.

And again, with the help of some mighty nice agents, the Evil is thwarted.  A seat is found for me, and after all this, I arrive only three hours later than scheduled.  Not so bad.  And I get upgraded at the rental car place and traffic from Tampa to Sarasota is light and it's a beautiful day and hey now! this car has Sirius radio!

Would this have gone so well if I'd gotten crazy mad and screamed at folks and cursed and threw things and felt sorry for myself?  Maybe.  But I don't think so.

Tomorrow night I host a bachelor auction to benefit breast cancer research (take a peek at http://www.byobachelor.com/), then it's off to the first show: The Improv in West Palm Beach! http://www.improv.com/ComedyClub/PalmBeach/Event/Walt-Willey-(SPECIAL-EVENT)/78616a97-9322-4f60-b08e-457274fe1001

Time now for a call home and some donuts and milk.  Tomorrow is another day.

And I'm not flying! Nyahnyahnyahnyahnyah!

Walt